Bushfires Planned and High Temperatures Hyped

[Brocke]

Records fall as temperatures rise nationwide

Adam Morton
August 25, 2009

THE north is sweltering and, in historical terms, the south is rarely cold. The result, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, has been a winter of record-breaking warmth across the continent.

Temperatures in Queensland, northern NSW and the Northern Territory pushed up to 15 degrees above average over the past week. Brisbane yesterday reached 35.4 degrees, nearly 3 degrees warmer than the previous August high.

Swing down the eastern seaboard, and Victoria - notwithstanding yesterday's traditional four seasons in 24 hours - is also in the grip of a (relative) heatwave. If the next week holds its ground, it will be the hottest winter experienced since meteorologists started sending weather balloons skyward.

David Jones, the bureau's head of climate analysis, said temperature benchmarks for August had been broken in every state and territory. ''In duration, extent and the magnitude of anomalies it is beyond historical experience and it hasn't finished,'' he said.

No weather event can be attributed to climate change alone, but Dr Jones said he believed it was impossible to divorce the current variability from a long-term warming.

''We've always had heatwaves, we've always had warm spells in winter, but what we're seeing now is this combination of the warming trend and the extremes coming together to see very large and very long-lived records broken and often by substantial margins.''

As of yesterday afternoon, Victoria's average temperature across winter, factoring in the day-time maximum and night-time minimum, was 9.59 degrees - just ahead of the record set in 2005. The long-term average is 8.6.

In Melbourne, the average maximum temperature in August is 16.9, two degrees above the long-term average.

Dr Jones said it was a similar story across much of the country. ''It is still a developing situation, but in all likelihood Australia will have the warmest or second warmest winter on record,'' he said.

At Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens, staff have noticed plants reacting to the unseasonal heat. Gardens director Richard Barley said the golden chalice vine, Solandra maxima, usually started flowering in mid-spring. It was in full bloom yesterday afternoon.

Some records have been broken repeatedly over the past few days. In Alice Springs and the western Queensland town of Birdsville, for instance, the previous maximum temperature was surpassed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Nothing in nature is uniform, of course. In NSW, the heat of the north yesterday contrasted with improving snow at the ski resorts in the south. And by yesterday afternoon, parts of Victoria were being buffeted by rain and gale-force winds.

Bureau duty forecaster Geoff Feren said wintry conditions were expected to continue today, with likely gusts of up to 110 km/h, thunderstorms, hail and snow at low altitudes. The temperature is expected to peak at 14 in Melbourne before an afternoon cool change.

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/records-fall-as-temperatures-rise-nationwide-20090824-ewix.html

[Brocke]

Victoria Australia
Highest maximum temperature by Month

Victoria   47.2   Mildura PO   10 January, 1939
Victoria   45.6   Rutherglen   1 February, 1968
Victoria   42.6   Mildura PO   10 March, 1940
Victoria   37.8   Mildura   4 April, 1986
Victoria   30.0   Walpeup   6 May, 1975
Victoria   25.7   Bairnsdale   3 June, 1957
Victoria   28.8   Walpeup   30 July, 1975
Victoria   29.9   Robinvale   28 August, 1977
Victoria   35.6   Mildura   30 September, 1961 and 25 September, 1965
Victoria   40.0   Mildura   30 October, 1965
Victoria   44.5   Mildura   17 November, 1980
Victoria   46.6   Robinvale   31 December, 1976

http://www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/~blair/extremes/australia.html

[Brocke]

As you can see by my second post the closest we have come to record heat was more than 20 years ago in 1986!

Who is supposed to be buying this crap about heatwaves? They are simply priming us for false flag fires this summer so they can slam through more draconian laws regarding forced evacuation.

[Anti_Illuminati]

As you can see by my second post the closest we have come to record heat was more than 20 years ago in 1986!

Who is supposed to be buying this crap about heatwaves? They are simply priming us for more staged fires this summer so they can slam through more draconian laws regarding forced evacuation.

Former VP of Ptech Rian Mey designs the EA's for National Wildland Fire Dept

http://www.nwcg.gov/nwfea/index.html

NWFEA Overview
National Wildland Fire Enterprise Architecture

What is the objective of the NWFEA Program?

The objective of the NWFEA Project is to establish the capability to facilitate cross-agency collaboration in meeting the common goals of the national (federal, state, county, and local) wildland fire community.

Wildland fire’s enterprise architecture (EA) capability will provide a single authoritative source for managing and tracking wildland fire plans, organizations, activities, standards, products, and services, throughout the wildland fire community, thus increasing efficiency and eliminating redundancy.

What is Enterprise Architecture?
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is directing the implementation of a Federal Enterprise Architecture which is intended to identify opportunities to simplify processes and unify work across the agencies of the Federal government. OMB has directed every department and agency to establish an enterprise architecture program. Rather than creating disparate and stand-alone wildland fire architectures within each agency, DOI, USDA, and DHS have agreed to work together to develop and implement a single national wildland fire enterprise architecture program.

Enterprise Architecture is a framework that identifies the interconnections of the various components of the organization:

    *
      Business – the strategy, governance, organizations, processes, products, and standards by which the enterprise operates on a day-to-day basis
    *
      Data/information - the definitions and classifications of the data that the enterprise requires in order to efficiently operate
    *
      Applications - the interactions among the processes and standards used by the enterprise
    *
      Technology - the hardware, operating systems, programming, and networking solutions used by the organization



http://www.nwcg.gov/nwfea/acknowledgements.htm

Acknowledgements

The development of this blueprint is the result of participation from wildland fire leaders and managers; the NWFEA Core Blueprint Team (CBT) comprised of experienced wildland fire professionals drawn from a wide range of disciplines across the agencies; the chairs of the various NWCG sub-groups; the NWCG Program Management Office; and the NWFEA Steering Group. The goal of this blueprint is to recommend changes to the wildland fire community that will result in continually improving interagency cooperation, management efficiencies, and support to field operations.

The approach followed to complete the development of the NWFEA Blueprint began with the need to gain executive buy-in and support for the project. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), through its Program Management Office, initiated discussions with Department and Agency architects which resulted in the formation of the National Wildland Fire Enterprise Architecture Steering Group (NWFEASG). Not only was the NWFEASG and its members instrumental in helping to define the initial direction and scope for the Blueprint, they proved to be crucial in securing adequate resources and funding. Additional oversight for the Blueprint Project was provided by interagency wildland fire executive leadership, through the Fire Executive Council (FEC) and NWCG.

Once scope and depth of the effort was defined by the oversight groups, the Blueprint Project Team began the process of gathering information to document the business of Wildland Fire. A Core Business Team (CBT), comprised of an interagency group of Wildland Fire Subject Matter Experts (selected based on their knowledge of core wildland fire functions) was formed to provide the fundamental underpinnings for the blueprint by identifying the stakeholders, products, services, and supporting infrastructure necessary to conduct Wildland Fire business. Additionally, many members of the IT community participated in detailing information about the various wildland fire applications and system infrastructure. Inputs from various parallel initiatives were also considered, such as:

    * The Wildland Fire Governance Alignment effort
    * The task to develop an Interagency Wildland Fire IT Investment Process
    * The Interagency CIO Wildland Fire IT/Radio Collaborative Sojourn
    * NWCG Sub-structure and Strategic Planning Activities
    * The Interagency Wildland Fire IT Conference (Las Vegas)
    * NWCG and Fire Executive Committee (FEC) Meetings

Building upon the framework of gathered information, additional Wildland Fire Subject Matter Experts were engaged to further detail the work of the CBT. This resulted in the creation of a variety of analytical products such as the NWFEA Functional Model, and an Enterprise Data Model. These SMEs were also valuable in helping to define and map the interconnections between the analytical products. These essential mappings between such things as Wildland Fire’s strategies, data, functions, systems, stakeholders, and organizations helped to provide an understanding of the business in perspectives previously unattainable.

The results of all of the above efforts, and insights gained as the process unfolded, lead directly to the recommendations provided in this Blueprint. Many groups and individuals have helped to make the NWFEA Blueprint a worthy document for use by the wildland fire community for years to come. With sincere gratitude we thank the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), the Core Blueprint Team (CBT), the NWFEA Steering Group, the NWCG Program Management Office (PMO), the contractors, and the participants of the Interagency CIO Wildland Fire IT/Radio Collaborative Sojourn.

Special Recognition is given to:

    Executive Sponsor: Jim Douglas, BLM, Assistant Director, Fire and Aviation Management
    NWCG Liaisons: Mike Wallace, NPS, Division Chief, Fire and Aviation (retired)
    Brian McManus, FWS, Chief, Branch of Fire Management
    Business EA Lead: Judy Crosby, BLM, Manager, NWCG Program Management Office (PMO)
    Project Manager: Frank Peters, DOI, NWFEA Project Manager

National Wildfire Coordinating Group (Project Sponsors):
Name    Affiliation    Title
Lyle Carlile    BIA    Fire Director
Mike Dougherty    USFA    Wildland Fire Program Manager
Jim Erickson    Intertribal Timber Council    Tribal Chair Representative
Mike Hilbruner    USFS    Fire Research
Mike Long    NASF    State of FL for Eastern States
Brian McManus    FWS    Fire Director
Timothy Murphy    BLM    Fire Director
Tom Nichols    NPS    Fire Director
Kirk Rowdabaugh    NASF    State of AZ for Western States
Jim Smalley    NFPA    Manager, Wildland Fire
     Protection    
Dan Smith    NASF    Fire Director
Mike Wallace    NPS    Fire Director (retired)
Hugh Wood    USFA, FEMA    Chief, Response Section
Karyn Wood    USFS    Fire Director
Bonnie Bradshaw    USFS    Executive Secretary
          
NWFEA Project Team:         

    NWFEA Core Blueprint Team:

Name    Affiliation    Expertise
Neal Hitchock    USFS    Management, CBT Lead
Tom Frey    BLM    Management, CBT Lead (Retired)
Erik Christiansen    BLM    Fuels
Kim Christensen    BLM    Dispatch/Coordination
Kim VanHemelryck    FWS    Fuels
Linda Swain    NPS    Budget
Mary Ann Szymoniak    USFS    Fire Business
Mike Barrowcliff    USFS    Technology
Paul Schlobohm    BLM    Weather/Fire Behavior
Shari Shetler    BLM    Technology
Vince Mazzier    BLM    Operations
NWCG Staff Members:         
Name    Affiliation    Expertise
Al Borup    NPS    Application Architecture
Alexis Collins    USFS    Communications
Allen Deitz    USFS    Data Architecture
Carol Saras    BLM    Technical Architecture
Jim Barrett    Contractor    EA Consulting
Mike Apicello    USFS    Communications
Penny Barrowcliff    USFS    Knoweldge Management
Stephanie Becker    USFS    Communications
Tammy Denney    USFS    Web Support
DOI Business Transformation Lab:
Name    Affiliation    Expertise
Bryan Hamilton    Contractor    EA Consulting
David Zager    Contrator    EA Consulting
Eric Hermansen    Contractor    Analyst
Gary Cline    Contractor    Contracting
Jerad Spiegel    Contractor    EA Consulting
Jim Johnson    Contractor    Contractor Management
Ken Russman    Contractor    Contractor Management
Rian Mey    Contractor    EA Consulting
Who is Rian Mey?  Why he is one of the former Vice President's of Ptech Inc.
USFS EA Consultants:         
BLM EA Consultants:         
Name    Affiliation    Expertise
Amy Bollinger    Contractor    Communications Consulting
Ann Kittiaus    Contractor    Communications Consulting
Barbara Kett    Contractor    Analyst
Christine Hawkinson    Contractor    Analyst
Del Linenberger    Contractor    DEAR Consulting
Jamie Stone    Contractor    Analyst
John Cusimano    Contractor    EA Consulting
Kathleen Campbell    Contractor    Contracting
NWFEA Steering Group:
Name    Affiliation    Expertise
Al Borup    NPS    Application Architect
Al Fischer    FWS    Cheif Architect
Allen Deitz    USFS    Data Architecture
Andrea Olson    FWS    Fire Information Technology Manager
Anne Sulkovsky    NPS    Chief Architect
Carol Saras    BLM    Technical Architect
Colleen Coggins    DOI    Chief Architect
David Potter    BIA    Fire Information Technology Manager
Dusty Cernak    USDA    Exterprise Architect
Elyse Turkeltaub    DOI    Fire Information Technology Manager
Gladys Crabtree    BLM    Enterprise Architecture
Jim Rolfes    NPS    Chief Architect
Name    Affiliation    Expertise
John Gebhard    BLM    Fire Information Technology Manager
John King    USFS    Chief Architect
Judy Crosby    BLM    Chief Architect
Keith Smith    NASF    Enterprise Architecture & Fire IT
Melanie Rhinehart    BLM    Chief Architect
Mike Barrowcliff    USFS    Fire Information Technology Manager
Penny Barrowcliff    USFS    NWCG Knowledge Manager
Po-Wen Lu    BIA    Chief Architect
Stuart Doescher    USGS    Chief Architect
back to the top
Other Contributors:              
Fire Business              
Name    Affiliation    Name    Affiliation
Barbara Ruffner    BLM    Mark Beighley    DOI
Charlie Leonard    BLM    Matt Cnudde    USFS
Chuck Wamack    BLM    Mike Dudley    USFS
Dan Buckley    NPS    Paul Broyles    NPS
Dan Smith    BLM    Pete Lahm    USFS
Dave Repass    BLM    Rich McCrea    BIA
Deb Epps    BLM    Rich Schwab    NPS
Dennis Dupuis    BIA    Rick Ochoa    BLM
Hallie Locklear    BLM    Rick Prausa    USFS
Jeff Manley    NPS    Roberta D'Amico    NPS
Jim Barnett    USFS    Rod Bloms    FWS
Jim Loach    National Area Command Team    Roshelle Pederson    BLM
John Segar    FWS    Rowdy Muir    Incident Management Team
LaMar St. John    BLM    Sarah Fisher    FWS
Linda Mazzu    BLM    Ted Milesnick    BLM
Lisa McDevitt    BLM    Tim Melchert    USFS
Lou Ballard    FWS    Tom Wordell    USFS
Lynne Willoughby    BLM    Tory Henderson    USFS
Information Technology (Includes CIO Radio/IT Sojourn attendees):
Name    Affiliation    Name    Affiliation
Al" Tariq Samuels    BLM    Greg Jensen    BLM
Andy Gray    USFS    Heath Hockenberry    NWS
Becky Jenison    BLM    Henri Grissimo-Mayer    University of Tennessee
Bill Leenhouts    FWS    Hope Y Mentore-Smith    FWS
Bill Rush    USFS    Howard Roose    BLM
Bob Keane    USFS    James Spero    CDF
Bodie Shaw    BIA    Jan van Wagtendonk    USGS
Brad Harwood    USFS    Jane Kapler Smith    USFS
Brad Quayle    USFS    Janet Sullivan    USFS
Brian Potter    USFS    Janis Reimers    BLM
Brian Schwind    USFS    Jeanne Higgins    USFS
Brian Sorbel    NPS    Jeff Park    USFS
Bruce Jeske    USFS    Jennifer Pollock    USGS
Bud Cribley    BLM    Jerry Williams    USDA
Candance Krull    USFS    Jim Menakis    USFS
Carroll Alexander    NPS    Jimmie Chew    USFS
Charles Kazimir    BLM    Joe Frost    USFS
Cheryl McQueary    USDA    Joe Kennedy    New York State
Chris Lewis    DOI    John Cissel    BLM
Cindy Pogue    BLM    John Fend    BLM
Cindy Schafer    BLM    John Gould    BIA
Corey Wells    BLM    John Laurence    USFS
back to the top
Craig Clarke    State (Eastern U.S.)    John Moulder    BLM
Dan Keller    USFS    John Nelson    USFS
David Frederick    Southern Group of State Foresters    John Noneman    BLM
David Mueller    BLM    John Szymoniak    USFS
Don Fullmer    USFS    Jon Holden    USFS
Dottie Miller    BIA    Jon Skeels    USFS
Doug Nash    USFS    Katy Madrid-Hipke    BLM
Doug Stephen    NPS    Kay Metcalf    NOAA
Duncan Lutes    USFS    Keith McGillivary    BLM
Edward Delgado    BLM    Ken Bottle    FWS
Eli Jacks    NWS    Ken Wilbert    BLM
Ellen Eberhardt    USFS    Kent Saxon    BLM
Ellen Waterman    FWS    Keri Vest    USFS
Eric Torres    NPS    Kevin Olson    CDF
Erin Maskalick    BLM    Larry Bowser    USFS
Gary Bowers    BLM    Larry Bradshaw    USFS
Gina Bald    USFS    Laurie Jakubowski    USFS
Ginny Farr    BLM    Linda Roose    USFS
Grant Dekker    USFS    Liz Lile    USGS
Greg Golberg    University of Idaho    Lou Ballard    FWS
back to the top
Name    Affiliation    Name    Affiliation
Luther Arizona    BIA    Sandy Guches    BLM
Lynn Allen    USDA    Scott Goodrick    USFS
Mark Finney    USFS    Shane Compton    NPS
Mark Kaib    FWS    Sim Larkin    USFS
Martha Isbister    NPS    Skip Edel    Eastern States
Michelle Ryerson    BLM    Stan Stewart    DHS
Mike Hilbruner    USFS    Starla Grill    USFS
Mike Howell    DOI    Steve Jenkins    USFS
Mike Tuominen    USFS    Steve Simon    USFS
Mike VanDermyden    BIA    Stu Off    DOI
Miriam Rorig    USFS    Sue McLellan    Eastern States
Nancy DeLong    NPS    Sue Preece    USFS
Nate Benson    NPS    Sue Peterson    USFS
Nick Crookston    USFS    Susan Goodman    BLM
Noel Newburg    FWS    Susan Moore    USDA
Paul Langowski    USFS    Tamara Jenner    BLM
Pete Lahm    USFS    Tara Strand    USFS
Phil Murphy    State (Western U.S.)    Teddi LaMoure    USFS
Ray Dampler    CALFIRE    Terri Shadix    BLM
Rhonda Toronto    BLM    Tim Quinn    DOI
Rick Squires    BLM    Tim Sexton    USFS
Risa Lange-Navarro    USFS    Tim Swedburg    BLM
Robert Roth    USFS    Tom Bobbe    USFS
Robert Soloman    BLM    Tom Remus    BIA
Robyn Hefferman    BLM    Tom Thomison    USFS
Ronnie Levine    BLM    Tracy Fuller    USGS
Russell Berry    DOI    Vaughn Stokes    USFS
______________________________________________________

Source of excerpt:

"Lebanese-American Oussama Ziade, who co-founded Ptech in 1994 and now serves as the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, says that the real story is that two Ptech vice presidents, Jeff Goins and Rian Mey, schemed for a year to get Ptech to license its revolutionary software to them. After Sept. 11, and the press and federal agents’ subsequent linking of Al-Qadi to Ptech, the pair exploited the connection further in an attempt to force a licensing deal."

[Brocke]

Prepare for bushfire hell

Article from: Herald Sun
Neil Mitchell
August 06, 2009 12:00am

THERE will be more tears shed this summer, don't doubt it. There will be fire, loss and probably death.

That reality is unavoidable, but today, 82 days from the start of the fire season, the question is whether we are ready to cope if there is another Black Saturday catastrophe.

As of now, the answer is no. Victoria is not ready. Lessons have been learnt, but changes not yet implemented.

True, planning has begun, but there is much to do and this is a job that must be accepted by the whole community if it is going to be effective.

It's strange to bother with talk of wild fire when the streets are wet and the wind is cold. But there's not much time.

Victoria is heading into a fire season that could be worse than the one that cost 173 lives and suffocated the community with grief.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment has confirmed that, and the Country Fire Authority agrees. The language is bureaucratic, but the meaning is clear:

"The genuine prospect of a season with the greatest potential loss to life and property is now in sight, and as climate indicators strengthen, this looks to be an increasing likelihood."

Consider those words against the fact that from outside, the CFA looks like an organisation in disarray.

That's unfair, but public confidence has been battered by criticism, and forensic questioning at the bushfire royal commission of CFA officials such as chief officer Russell Rees highlighted failures not successes.

This also is a hotly political organisation and some of its own members have turned against it, which must shake the confidence of those who rely on it.

Now, this is urgent.

The royal commission reports in 11 days, 71 days before the fire season.

If it recommends a reorganisation of emergency operations there will no time to implement anything before the hot winds howl.

If it recommends more equipment, extra water bombers, or new strategies the problem is the same: no time.

For that reason, John Brumby was right to take action that pre-empts the commission.

It would be irresponsible to wait, and he hasn't.

All parties are edgy about discussing it for fear of upsetting the commissioner, but work has begun and the CFA has been going through the post-fire self-analysis it always does.

As a starting point, these changes are likely:

HIGH-RISK towns will be identified and saturated with warnings and advice. There will be street meetings, community conferences, fire wardens appointed, and a direct message that life is the priority ahead of property.

Evacuation warnings may be introduced. If this is done they'll be blunt: towns will be told that if the weather reaches the extraordinary levels it did in February the best thing is to evacuate.

COMMUNICATIONS will improve, advice expand, and the message will be simplified.

It is unlikely the "leave or stay" policy will change, but it is a sign of uncertainty that today the CFA website doesn't explain it.

Instead, it promises the policy will be posted soon.

Work has begun to translate the science to the message, but the CFA's acting chief officer Steve Warrington says the six hours of devastation in unprecedented conditions on Black Saturday is not reason to "throw away our whole philosophy".

CO-OPERATION and communication between the emergency services will improve. CFA chairman Kerry Murphy is extremely confident his organisation will perform well this summer. He says collaboration between the emergency agencies has been "exemplary" in recent months. So it should be. There's no room for turf wars.

MORE announcements are planned in coming weeks, so the time is right for ideas.

The Government plans to cut red tape to allow residents to clear growth from around their houses. That must be done quickly, and the message must be sent out now: clean up, cut down and trim back in spring.

There must be a traffic management plan because everybody will enter this summer on edge.

If people evacuate in their thousands, the roads may clog. How will police cope with that?

Public nervousness will emerge by early December. People who have never thought of emptying the gutters at their holiday house will wonder what to do.

A hotline for advice would be handy, offering guidance on any level of fire protection and preparation.

It's a popular government buzz phrase to say any problem is a community responsibility. With bushfires it's true.

What about a type of neighbourhood watch scheme for bushfires?

THESE are dangerous times and Victorians need to be reminded, and shocked.

The people of Sassafras and Ferntree Gully should identify with the residents of Flowerdale and Kinglake because if this strikes again it could be closer to town and even more disastrous.

For that reason the focus is changing to what fire fighters call "preparedness".

Steve Warrington says the CFA is a world leader and fights fires as well as possible.

"Now we are working out how best to get communities to prepare for when the fire comes. That is how we will save lives," he said.

That work can begin today, in the August rain. And it must.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25888990-5000117,00.html

[Brocke]

There is also a whitewash of the fact that the Victorian government failed to initiate proper controlled burns last year.


Victoria bushfire-prone burn-off plea rejected

Gary Hughes | August 19, 2009
Article from:  The Australian

THE Brumby government rejected a recommendation from a parliamentary committee that it triple the amount of controlled fuel-reduction burns carried out in bushfire-prone areas of Victoria just two months before the Black Saturday catastrophe killed 173 people.

The Victorian parliament's environment and natural resources committee made the recommendation in June last year after holding an extensive inquiry into the impact of land management practices on recent large bushfires in the state.

The committee said the 130,000ha of controlled burning being carried out each year was insufficient to reduce the risk of bushfires and recommended the area be tripled to 385,000ha.

But in its response to the inquiry's findings, which it did not provide to the committee until December, the government rejected the setting of a fixed number of hectares for controlled burning.

Accepting the recommendation "in principle", the government said the area designated for burning each year should be based on "science and risk-management frameworks" and subject to suitable weather conditions.

"The government supports a move away from focusing on hectare-based targets, which may lead to inappropriate planned burning programs," the government's response to the committee said. The committee also called on the government to make more funds available to carry out controlled burns, including hiring skilled personnel to conduct them.

Victorian Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said yesterday the government's "chronic failure" to implement the committee's recommendations and those from previous inquiries had contributed to the scale of the Black Saturday catastrophe.

"John Brumby has to explain why they failed to do these things, why they shelved those recommendations," Mr Baillieu said.

"This government until now has had little interest in controlled burning and getting controlled burning levels up. Otherwise they would have implemented the recommendations of that parliamentary committee report, which they had last year."

Concern at the government's lack of action over the parliamentary committee's recommendation on tripling controlled burns has been raised in a report lodged with the Black Saturday royal commission.

The report, co-authored by Monash University bushfire expert and former CSIRO scientist David Packham, also examined recent large Victorian bushfires and said the committee's recommendation did not need further analysis, as claimed by the government.

"What further analysis is going to add to the extensive body of knowledge currently available that will materially change the recommendations?" it said.

Mr Packham's research has linked the levels of fuel loads in a bushfire, which dictate its intensity, to the number of people likely to be killed.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25950458-2702,00.html

[Brocke]

Urgent call for fire bunker standards

Darren Gray
August 25, 2009

BUSHFIRE bunker standards must be urgently developed in the wake of the killer February fires, Victorian building commissioner Anthony Arnel says.

Mr Arnel yesterday told the Bushfires Royal Commission that the standards needed to cover the construction and installation of bunkers in danger areas. Consideration should also be given to making them mandatory in the worst areas, he said.

But he issued a number of cautions, urging people not to rush out and install bunkers without doing appropriate research and getting professional advice.

The Victorian Building Commission had developed a community information sheet about bushfire bunkers for those who were interested, he said.

The information sheet was published last week and gives a range of tips on bunkers including that they may not be a safe option in all cases and people considering installing a bunker should get professional advice from a structural engineer or a fire safety engineer.

Mr Arnel said he had been ''quite concerned'' that people might rush to install bunkers without considering the technical issues.

''And there are some real issues that need to be taken account of,'' he said. ''I do believe we need to progress rapidly in the matter of bushfire bunkers to the point where we can classify them according to the building code of Australia. I would also advocate that we develop an applicable standard once you have a classification.

''Just buying something over the internet or relying on something in a publication may not be sufficient,'' he said.

Royal commissioner Bernard Teague acknowledged the strong community interest in bunkers since the fires, including in submissions to the commission. ''A lot of people are seeing bunkers as plan B,'' Justice Teague said.

Mr Arnel also told the commission that 87 per cent of the 2131 houses destroyed in the February fires did not need to meet bushfire building standards when they were built, because they were built before 1994. Only 177 homes were required to meet building standards, he said.

''The big challenge … is what to do with existing houses. The regulations have been changed to deal with new housing and now alterations and additions but, of course, there is a major issue in relation to existing housing,'' he said.

Counsel assisting the commission, Melinda Richards, said that in the first days after the release of the royal commission's interim report, the commission would examine a range of issues concerning houses and buildings, such as how houses burn during bushfires, what factors make buildings more fireproof, what are fire-prone areas and how the building of houses in fire-prone areas is regulated.

''These issues are of particular importance to those who are facing up to the challenge of rebuilding homes and other buildings that were destroyed in the February fires,'' she said.

''They're also of importance to those living in bushfire-prone areas that did not burn this year, and who are facing the next fire season.''

http://www.theage.com.au/national/urgent-call-for-fire-bunker-standards-20090824-ewiw.html

[Brocke]

At least they are not pushing the Global Warming bunk too much in this article. But they are implying it. If Australia has a false flag this year it will probably be massive fires in multiple states at the same time.


Extraordinary weather breaks records

By Cathy Alexander
AAP
September 01, 2009 05:10pm

AUSTRALIA just sweated through its hottest August on record.

But it's not climate change, it's just hot.

The Bureau of Meteorology says August was almost 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than normal across the country.

The bureau boffins described it as "most extraordinary" as temperatures crept above 38 degrees in some areas.

And winter as a whole came within a whisker of being the warmest of record - it was just 0.01 of a degree cooler than the record-holder, 1996.

Blair Trewin, a climate scientist with the bureau, said the warm weather was caused by a lack of large frontal systems sweeping up from the southern oceans, which would have brought cool air.

Instead, persistent high pressure systems hung about the subtropics.

Dr Trewin said the heatwaves were caused more by natural variability than by climate change.

Climate change had pushed up temperatures by about 0.8 of a degree over the past century but August came in at more than two degrees above average.

"The set-up we had this month would have given us an extremely warm month whether it happened 100 years ago or it happened now," Dr Trewin said.

"There's a lot of natural variability but you've got a climate change signal on top of that."

And there's no end in sight to the warm weather - the Bureau is forecasting a hot, dry spring.

That's because of warm conditions in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26012795-29277,00.html

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Fire alert mobiles spark privacy row

Rick Wallace, Victorian political reporter | September 08, 2009

THE proposed national bushfire warning system would enable authorities to track anyone's movement in a declared disaster area by their mobile phone, opening up broad uses for the technology and raising privacy concerns.
Tender documents for the warning system to be built at the behest of all Australian governments reveal it could be used during disease epidemics, sieges, cyclones, terrorist attacks, locust plagues and heat or smog alerts.

The scope of the system has led civil liberties groups to warn of a need for tight privacy guidelines to prevent release or misuse of data on people's movements.

The proposed model will deliver real-time, location-based warnings. It will follow the imminent first stage of the system that will deliver warnings to landlines and mobiles based on people's billing addresses. In addition to warning people, the technology could help locate survivors in the aftermath of a fire. And it has the potential to identify looting suspects or suspected arsonists who continue lighting blazes once a bushfire has begun.

The Victorian government, which is running the tender on behalf of the Council of Australian Governments, this month called for expressions of interest in developing the system.

"The technology will have the ability to receive notifications about any new mobile devices entering a previously specified emergency area to alert the user that, for example, an emergency services vehicle has arrived at a location, or that a civilian has entered the area and may be unaware of the emergency," the tender specification document says. "The technology will include the ability to receive notifications for any mobile devices exiting the defined emergency area. This could facilitate the creation of an evacuation list of people who are still remaining in the emergency area."

The tender documents make it clear the system must be able to project the location of phones onto a map for the emergency services to use, while protecting their users' privacy.

Prospective bidders are told in the document that the system must be able to send at least 100,000 messages for disasters that cover a wide area or densely populated centres of large cities.

Among the other events listed in the tender as prospective triggers for such warnings are chemical spills, cyclones, floods, hail, storms, tsunamis, winds, bombings and human and animal disease epidemics. The system would even be used for events in small areas such a high-rise building fires or armed robberies, according to the documents.

Michael Pearce SC, the president of civil liberties group Liberty Victoria, said the system had great potential to save lives, but strong regulations were needed to prevent the data being misused.

"Obviously there are privacy implications. You would want to be satisfied there are broad privacy protocols," he said.

"This technology will have important uses, but there just has to be protection to prevent the misuse of the information."

Telstra and Optus, which control 98 per cent of fixed-line infrastructure, were invited to bid for the initial billing address-based warning system, which is expected to be in place for the coming bushfire season for all states except Western Australia, which is sticking with its State-Alert system.

The federal Attorney-General's Department said nationwide data would be stored in a secure federally run facility.

http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,20589,26042649-15306,00.html

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Firefighter dies fighting grass fire

AAP

October 16, 2009 11:35pm

A FIREFIGHTER has died while fighting a grass fire on the NSW mid-north coast.
NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) said the unnamed male firefighter collapsed and died at Fingal Bay tonight, shortly after a grass fire in the coastal town had been extinguished.

NSWFB Commissioner Greg Mullins paid tribute to the firefighter, but said the name of the firefighter would not be released until family had been notified of his death.

"Firefighters are men and women who are dedicated to saving life and property - it hits all of us hard when one of our own dies or is injured," he said.

"I extend my deepest sympathy, personally and on behalf of the NSW Fire Brigades to his family, friends and colleagues."

The firefighter was known and admired in the local community, NSW Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan said.

"Firefighters are very special people and it is tragic to lose someone so dedicated to helping others," he said.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26221718-29277,00.html

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Fire chiefs nervous as early summer hits

AAP
November 09, 2009 08:27pm

VICTORIA'S fire chiefs are nervously watching the weather as the first heatwave of the bushfire season begins to bake grassland and forests grown lush from spring rains.

Melbourne is already sweltering in the longest run of November heat in more than 80 years.

Monday's top temperature of 35.5 degrees was the hottest day since Black Saturday on February 7, when the maximum hit a record 46.4 degrees in Melbourne and bushfires swept Victoria, killing 173 people.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Stewart said tomorrow's predicted top of 34 degrees would be the fourth day in a row with temperatures of more than 30 degrees, the longest spell of heat in Melbourne in November since 1925.

"The highest number of 30 degree days in a row is six, and that was in 1896," Mr Stewart said.

Country Fire Authority chief fire officer Russell Rees warned Victoria was in for another difficult summer if rain did not follow this week's heat.

"Unless it rains following this dry spell, it will rapidly bring summer on," he said.

"We normally look at summer seriously starting by mid December. It will now bring summer on as soon as mid to late November.
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Grass and forests would dry out quickly without rain, Mr Rees warned.

"The grass will go off more rapidly, and it will be just fuel waiting to go," he said.

"If it doesn't rain, then we're at the behest of the hot, dry windy days.

"This will set us back. Our best hope is for a period of cooler, damper weeks."

Winds were light, easing the immediate fire threat, but could pick up towards the weekend as the trough approaches, Mr Rees said.

Mr Stewart said isolated thunderstorm activity, including the prospect of dry lightning, was expected in parts of northern Victoria on Tuesday and along parts of the Great Dividing Range on Wednesday and Thursday.

Coastal areas can expect some relief mid-week, with maximum temperatures to dip to the high 20s thanks to afternoon sea breezes on Wednesday and Thursday, but heat will continue to build in the north until Saturday, Mr Stewart said.

Mildura, on the Murray River in the state's far northwest, is bracing for 43 degrees on Saturday.

An 800-hectare bushfire in the state's far east Gippsland area has been burning out of control since last week, Department of Sustainability and Environment fire crews, incident controller Peter Billing said.

It is burning in remote country at Dock Inlet, near Cape Conran, and will probably spread to about 4,000ha before crews can expect to contain it later in the week.

A 600ha blaze near Mallacoota in East Gippsland has been contained.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26327273-1702,00.html

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SA braces for catastrophic bushfire day
November 18, 2009 - 2:34AM

AAP

South Australia is on alert, with catastrophic bushfire conditions forecast for the first time.

Temperatures throughout the state are predicted to reach the low 40s in some areas, with Adelaide forecast to have a top of 39 degrees on Wednesday.

Similar conditions will follow on Thursday, with Adelaide's maximum expected to reach 41C.

The conditions have prompted authorities to issue a bushfire warning of catastrophic conditions in the Flinders and north-west pastoral districts - the first time the term has been used.

New bushfire advice systems have been adopted for this summer, with catastrophic rated above extreme and severe.

The catastrophic category rates the risk as similar to those conditions prevalent when Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires struck in February.

Closer to Adelaide, the bushfire rating for Wednesday has been listed as very high in the Mount Lofty Ranges and high in the Adelaide district.

The Bureau of Meteorology says a catastrophic fire danger rating is likely in the northern and western parts of the state again on Thursday.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/sa-braces-for-catastrophic-bushfire-day-20091118-ikm1.html

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NSW issues 'catastrophic' fire warnings with hot weather, high winds

By Lisa Mayoh and AAP
news.com.au
November 22, 2009 03:25pm

    * "Catastrophic" fire warnings issued
    * Sydney expecting a high of 40C today
    * Worst conditions in 100 years
    * 'Biblical': Officer killed in UK floods

A THIRD emergency fire warning has been issued for NSW, as firefighters struggle to contain blazes burning on the state's central west.

Residents near Orange are now under threat as strong winds pushing the grass fire towards them.

"A fast moving grass fire is burning in severe fire danger conditions on the eastern side of the Mitchell highway towards Kangaroobie Road," the Rural Fire Service said.

"Numerous rural properties along Kangaroobie road are under threat from the fire and residents are being urged to check and follow your Bush Fire Survival Plan now."

RFS spokesman Anthony Clark said a couple of properties were in the line of the fire.

"We've got crews working with property owners out there at the moment to protect those properties.

"We are seeing some very strong and gusty winds from the north west, up to 70km per hour."

A fire burning west of the central west townships of Rylstone, Kandos and Clandulla has broken containment lines, putting some properties under threat.

An emergency warning has been declared for the central western townships after containment lines were breached at 1pm (AEDT) today.

The fire, which has burnt through 1260 hectares of bushland west of the townships, is now bearing down on some rural properties.

"The fire started on the northern side of Windamere Dam and has crossed the dam," the Rural Fire Service (RFS) said.

`"The fire is threatening rural properties between Lake Windamere and the towns of Rylstone, Kandos and Clandulla."

"The fire is currently impacting properties along Pinnacle Road and White Rocks Road, to the west of Rylstone, where fire fighting crews are providing property protection."

Mr Clark said the fire would remain a threat well into this afternoon because of scorching temperatures and gusty 70km winds.

Residents have been told to follow their Bush Fire Survival Plan and if they have any doubts about their ability to protect their property, to leave early.

'Our worst fire threat in a century'

Scorching temperatures, bone-dry bushland, high winds and severe lightning storms have combined to create our worst bushfire threat in 100 years.

The volatile cocktail of conditions forced authorities in NSW to issue "catastrophic" fire warnings and impose a total fire ban across most of the State.

As Sydney awaits a high of 40C today, the message from authorities is clear: this is only the beginning, The Sunday Telegraph reports.

"These are conditions that haven't been seen for 100 years," Premier Nathan Rees said.

Residents have been warned that worse is to come, with hot, dry weather expected to continue over summer.

At least 66 fires are burning throughout NSW, including the Blue Mountains, the Hawkes bury region and the north. As of late yesterday, no private property or lives had been lost.

Dry lightning storms on Friday night and 45km/h winds have put virtually all of NSW under threat and the Rural Fire Service on high alert.

Fire officials fear more fires may break out today as conditions worsen.

Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said anything was possible.

He said that although most of the state's safety was "of great concern", the far west and upper and lower central plains had been classified as catastrophic, meaning their fire rating was "off the charts" - above 100.

Deniliquin's fire index reached a record 190 yesterday.

Highly populated towns in the catastrophic zone include Dubbo, Broken Hill and Forbes, which were hoping for relief from a cool change later today.

As many as 1100 firefighters and 380 tankers worked around the clock to contain blazes, with thousands more on standby today in case conditions worsen.

"We don't know where the next fire is going to start and, clearly, we will be monitoring the existing fires, in light of these elevating weather conditions," Mr Fitzsimmons said yesterday.

"There is every likelihood a bushfire-prone area could be susceptible to fire tomorrow, which is why we're calling on vigilance, common sense and care.

"All areas that are subject to these adverse fire conditions are areas of concern."

Mr Fitzsimmons described the current fire season as "one of the most difficult we've seen", based on early indications.

Bureau of Meteorology forecasting chief Rob Webb said the late-spring heatwave was just the beginning, with unusually high summer heat possible for NSW in January and February.

"Tomorrow, we expect temperatures to rise back to 40C in Sydney, and much of north-eastern NSW will see temperatures towards the mid-40s.

"Ahead of a strong front approaching, we will see wind speeds get up to 40km/h. This will put pressure on fires already started by lightning strikes."

The Premier said most of the fires were the result of dry lightning strikes.People in fire-prone areas are urged to check radio updates and RFS website.


In the wake of our "Black Saturday" fires in February this year there is a new fire warning system. Catastrophic has been added after extreme. As tragic as the loss of life was earlier this year, this new grading system is just the beginning of mandatory evacuations preventing land owners from staying and defending their property. I'd be willing to bet that the state governments will declare Catastrophic fire categories, mandatory evacuations and then condemn the burnt areas in preparation for a land grab.

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Australia issues 'catastrophic' alerts as fires rage

(AFP) – 14 hours ago

SYDNEY — Australia has issued "catastrophic" alerts after record-breaking temperatures and wild lightning storms sparked more than 100 fires across the country, officials said Saturday.

Unseasonably hot and dry weather combined with strong winds to fan scores of blazes in the country's southeastern states, many of which were sparked by overnight lightning strikes.

"It has never been this hot, dry or windy in combination in November ever before," said New South Wales (NSW) state premier Nathan Rees.

A massive fire was threatening around 100 homes in the NSW town of Rylstone, west of Sydney, and residents were warned to evacuate or prepare to fight the flames, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) said.

Three homes were razed Friday night at the beachside town of Dolphin Sands in Tasmania, Australia's southernmost state. There were also smaller outbreaks in South Australia and Victoria states, but conditions there had eased.

Across New South Wales five major blazes were raging out of control and RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said crews were racing against time to contain the flames ahead of a forecast worsening in conditions.

Lightning without rain was expected to hammer the state overnight before the mercury soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, accompanied by high winds, the weather bureau said.

"It is a very tenuous situation with these unprecedented conditions," Fitzsimmons said.

"We are expecting strong northwesterly winds to reach the Sydney basin, and temperatures could reach the low 40s," RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd added.

"With strong winds, the fires could reach homes... It will be very dangerous fire weather."

More than one-third of NSW was under a Code Red or Catastrophic fire alert, in which residents cannot be forcibly evacuated but are strongly advised to abandon their property due to extreme risk of death or injury.

The warning was issued for the first time ever in South Australia on Tuesday, under a new national system developed in response to February's devastating "Black Saturday" wildfires.

Code Red conditions are considered on a par with those experienced ahead of Black Saturday, Australia's worst disaster of modern times, which killed 173 in Victoria and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

A total fire ban was issued for much of NSW for Sunday, including in Sydney, the country's most populous city, meaning. People will not be allowed to burn rubbish or have barbecues due to the high risk.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jSyX_1EmI8JWoi3IXsONtM_iz1gA

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Killer bushfire warning sent in Country Fire Authority bungle

By Catherine Best
AAP
November 26, 2009 12:01am

    * Warning sent that bushfire could "kill you"
    * Found to be a mistake
    * Opposition says state "not fire ready"

A WARNING about a phantom bushfire that could "kill you" has been issued to communities on Victoria's Otways Coast in the latest communications bungle.

The emergency warning was posted on the Country Fire Authority's (CFA) website yesterday in a training exercise that went awry.

The message warned of a large out of control fire heading towards Wye River on the Great Ocean Road.

"There is a large, fast moving bushfire in the Barwon Downs - Wickhams Track area," the message said.

"This fire is expected to impact anytime within the next two hours."

The message said the towns of Benwerrin, Murroon, Pennyroyal and Wymbooliel would also be affected, warning residents that "it is likely to be too late to leave".

"Go to your safer place only if the path is clear - heat from the fire can kill you."

The warning was also posted on the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) website and sent to email subscribers.

A DSE spokeswoman said it appeared in error at 11.34am (AEDT) but was removed from the websites at midday.

She said there were no calls to the bushfire information line from worried residents.

"As part of a multi-agency training exercise today, an emergency warning was inadvertently published relating to the Barwon Downs-Wickhams Track area," the spokeswoman said in a statement late yesterday.

"The warning was intended for internal use only and was part of a scenario based exercise. While the warning was intended to replicate real-life conditions as closely as possible, we acknowledge that it should have noted it was a test warning."

The bungle comes as Victoria faces another harrowing fire season, with the Government desperate to reassure the public that the state is fire ready.

Opposition bushfires spokesman Peter Ryan said the Government must urgently investigate the error and promise Victorians "that these dangerous mistakes will not be repeated".

"Victorians cannot trust (Premier) John Brumby on bushfires when false warnings of high fire danger are posted on the CFA website," he said.

"The warning even tells residents in the identified area that it is likely to be too late to leave when there was no fire or even a threat of fire."

A spokesman for Environment Minister Gavin Jennings said the issue had been rectified and accused Mr Ryan of engaging in "politically-inspired scaremongering".

"The new national fire danger rating system is about providing Victorians with clear advice about what actions to take in advance of a fire threat and it is totally appropriate that staff are trained about the new system," the spokesman said.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26402808-421,00.html

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Fire crews brace for severe danger across three States

From: AAP
January 10, 2010 4:00PM

Fire authorities are getting ready for catastrophic and severe fire danger today

    * Extreme heat in three states
    * Fires could be uncontrollable, unpredictable
    * Herald Sun: Red alert as heat builds
    * Adelaide Now: The latest heatwave updates

RESIDENTS of three States are preparing for catastrophic and severe fire danger today.

A code red catastrophic fire warning has been issued in Victoria for the first time.

The highest level fire alert has been declared for Wimmera in the state's west on Monday, with the mercury expected to hit 43 degrees and northerly winds forecast.

Fire chiefs are warning residents in the affected area not to delay and leave their homes immediately, while holidaymakers in areas such as the Grampians National Park have been told to get out.

”We want the community to act now ... it is vital that we give this information because we are concerned about their lives,” Country Fire Authority chief fire officer Russell Rees said.

“This is about protecting life and taking action.”

Authorities have taken the unusual step of declaring the fire warning before official confirmation from the Bureau of Meteorology to give residents time to prepare.

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) chief fire officer Ewan Waller said campers, holidaymakers and bushwalkers should “sit the day out” somewhere cool and safe.

“Across Victoria tomorrow is not a place you want to be in the bush, that is simple and clear,” he said.

Meanwhile parts of South Australia including include Ceduna, Elliston, Wudinna and Streaky Bay have been declared catastrophic, with total fire bans in place for other parts of the state.

Fire authorities are warning people in districts rated catastrophic that homes may not be safe in a fire and people should leave early today to ensure their safety.

A 24-hour fire bans is already in place and the SA Country Fire Service is recommending people in affected areas implement their bushfire survival plans.

According to the fire service, areas with catastrophic ratings mean fires would be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving and there would be a high likelihood people in the path of fire would die or be injured.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast severe fire danger for parts of Victoria and New South Wales today with the temperature expected to reach 42.

Fire authorities say any fires in this area could be uncontrollable and fast moving.

People in high-risk areas should leave their homes early today if the rating hits Code Red as fires spread quickly when winds are strong and it's going to be too late to decide to move when you see smoke or flames.

Residents are also being urged to check in on their neighbours for signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration, with the chronically ill and elderly most at risk.

Residents should stay indoors, wear a hat, drink plenty of water and avoid exercise. Those that head to the pool should never swim alone, and should keep a close eye on children.

http://www.news.com.au/national/fire-crews-brace-for-severe-danger-across-two-states/story-e6frfkvr-1225817728652